Research Operations Director

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 152,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan 7%

Vacation 18 days/year

Sick leave 12 days/year

Holidays 11 days/year

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Research Operations Director to join a leader in the Education, Government & Non-Profit space. This role will shape the operational infrastructure that supports multi-country research initiatives and partner with ethics, data security, and project stakeholders to reduce risk and enhance effectiveness.

The ideal candidate is a strategic operator who can drive process improvements, champion digital tools, and mentor managers across a highly collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Research Administration, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in operations or project management.
• Experience managing complex, multi-country research portfolios.
• Fluency in English.
• Understanding of global research operations, including IRB processes and donor compliance.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement systems to streamline research operations globally.
• Anticipate and mitigate risks related to research ethics and data security.
• Drive innovation in research support services through digital tools and automation.
• Lead the revision and enforcement of SOPs in collaboration with ethics and data security teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional working groups to support research project lifecycles.
• Mentor mid-level managers and foster a culture of collaboration.
• Implement project management tools to track progress and performance.

Education

Master's degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Research Administration, or related field

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Research Operations Director to join the team of a leader in the Education, Government & Non-Profit space.

This role will shape and strengthen the operational infrastructure that supports complex, multi-country research initiatives. The Director will partner closely with ethics, data security, and project stakeholders to improve consistency, reduce risk, and enhance the effectiveness of global research support services. This position is ideal for a strategic operator who can lead process improvement, drive adoption of digital tools, and mentor managers across a highly collaborative environment.

Location: Remote

Compensation: $152,000 – $170,600 annually

Responsibilities

• Design and implement systems to streamline research operations globally
• Anticipate and mitigate risks related to research ethics and data security
• Drive innovation in research support services through digital tools and automation
• Lead the revision and enforcement of SOPs in collaboration with ethics and data security teams
• Facilitate cross-functional working groups to support research project lifecycles
• Mentor mid-level managers and foster a culture of collaboration
• Implement project management tools to track progress and performance

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Research Administration, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in operations or project management
• Experience managing complex, multi-country research portfolios
• Fluency in English
• Understanding of global research operations, including IRB processes and donor compliance
• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills

Benefits

• 7% contribution to a pension plan
• 18 days of paid vacation per year
• 12 sick days per year
• 11 paid holidays per year

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification-your background could be exactly what this team needs.